Dates and locations of Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program training sessions:
(Pre-registration with a small fee is required for all workshops and lunch will be provided unless otherwise noted.)

Bird Nest Monitoring
Date:	March 14, 2009
Time:	10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Lunch provided)
Location:	Carroll County Conservation Board Education Center, Swan Lake Park, 22676 Swan Lake Dr.; Carroll, IA
Registration:	Download Form,*.pdf $6.00 fee should be sent to: (Checks payable to Iowa DNR) NOTE: If signing up for both the Bird and Frog and Toad workshop drop a dollar from the fee to make it $5.00 ($10.00 total for both), Boone Wildlife Research Station, attn: VWMP, 1436 255th Street, Boone, IA 50036
Lunch:	A box lunch will be served at this workshop. If you have any dietary restrictions please note this on your registration form.
Notes:	The Bird Nest Monitoring and Frog and Toad Workshop in Carroll County are being held back to back on the 14th and 15th of March. If you wish to sign up for both, you need only turn in one registration Form and can drop $2.00 from the registration fee for $10.00 total.
Date:	March 21, 2009
Time:	10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Lunch provided)
Location:	Northeastern Iowa Community College Campus Highway 150, Calmar Iowa This workshop is jointly sponsored by Winneshiek County Conservation
Registration:	Download Form,*.pdf $6.00 fee should be sent to: (Checks payable to Iowa DNR) NOTE: If signing up for both the Bird and Frog and Toad workshop drop a dollar from the fee to make it $5.00 ($10.00 total for both), Boone Wildlife Research Station, attn: VWMP, 1436 255th Street, Boone, IA 50036
Lunch:	A box lunch will be served at this workshop. If you have any dietary restrictions please note this on your registration form.
Notes:	The Bird Nest Monitoring and Frog and Toad Workshop in Winneshiek County are being held back to back on the 21st and 22nd of March. If you wish to sign up for both, you need only turn in one registration Form and can drop $2.00 from the registration fee for $10.00 total.
Frog and Toad Call Survey
Date:	March 7, 2009
Time:	12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Location:	Appanoose County Conservation Board Center 2000, Sharon Bluff State Park, 25069 520th St.; Centerville, IA 52544
Registration:	Download Form,*.pdf $5.00 fee should be sent to: (Checks payable to Iowa DNR) Boone Wildlife Research Station, attn: VWMP, 1436 255th Street, Boone, IA 50036
Notes:	Snacks will be provided at this workshop but no lunch.
Date:	March 15, 2009
Time:	12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Location:	Carroll County Conservation Board Conservation Education Center, Swan Lake Park, 22676 Swan Lake Dr.; Carroll, IA
Registration:	Download Form,*.pdf $6.00 fee should be sent to: (Checks payable to Iowa DNR) NOTE: If signing up for both the Bird and Frog and Toad workshop drop a dollar from the fee to make it $5.00 ($10.00 total for both) Boone Wildlife Research Station, attn: VWMP, 1436 255th Street, Boone, IA 50036
Lunch:	A box lunch will be served at this workshop. If you have any dietary restrictions please note this on your registration form.
Notes:	The Bird Nest Monitoring and Frog and Toad Workshop in Carroll County are being held back to back on the 14th and 15th of March. If you wish to sign up for both, you need only turn in one registration form and can drop $2.00 from the registration fee for $10.00 total.
Date:	March 22, 2009
Time:	12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Location:	Northeastern Iowa Community College Campus Highway 150, Calmar Iowa This workshop is jointly sponsored by Winneshiek County Conservation
Registration:	Download Form,*.pdf $6.00 fee should be sent to: (Checks payable to Iowa DNR) NOTE: If signing up for both the Bird and Frog and Toad workshop drop a dollar from the fee to make it $5.00 ($10.00 total for both) Boone Wildlife Research Station, attn: VWMP, 1436 255th Street, Boone, IA 50036
Lunch:	A box lunch will be served at this workshop. If you have any dietary restrictions please note this on your registration form.
Notes:	The Bird Nest Monitoring and Frog and Toad Workshop in Winneshiek County are being held back to back on the 14th and 15th of March. If you wish to sign up for both, you need only turn in one registration form and can drop $2.00 from the registration fee for $10.00 total.

If you are interested in attending a VWMP workshop and there are no dates posted yet, contact Stephanie Shepherd express your interest and she will contact you when additional workshops are scheduled. Alternatively, check back here for updates.

The Iowa DNR Wildlife Diversity Program and the Iowa NatureMapping Project at Iowa State University have teamed up to offer volunteers an opportunity to become involved gathering data and learning about Iowa's wildlife populations.

NatureMapping is an Iowa State University Extension Wildlife Program that trains citizens how to monitor and report the wildlife they observe and the habitats they observe them in. Data collected from citizen volunteers are stored in a database that can be used to document the distribution and relative abundance of Iowa wildlife species. Citizen observations have been invaluable to the small staff of the Wildlife Diversity Program in keeping track of species such as bobcats, mountain lions, trumpeter swans, and otters. As a NatureMapper, you can add your observations to a statewide database and research information provided by other NatureMappers.

The Volunteeer Wildlife Monitoring program (or VWMP) is for volunteers that wish to be more regularly involved with the collection of data for the Wildlife Diversity Program. VWMP workshops instruct individuals on how to identify and collect data on particular species and then submit that data to the Wildlife Diversity Program. The Raptor Nesting Survey, Colonial Waterbird Nesting Survey, Peregrine Falcon Survey, and the Frog and Toad Call Survey are four current surveys for which the Diversity Program asks for citizen assistance to monitor population trends. See above for a current schedule of VWMP workshops scheduled all over the state for individuals interested in learning how to collect and submit crucial wildlife data to the Iowa DNR. These data help us to monitor environmentally sensitive amphibian populations and keep track of nesting activity in Iowa's raptors and colonial waterbirds.

The Wildlife Diversity Program encourages all individuals young and old to become involved in NatureMapping, and for those with a special interest in collecting more detailed information on amphibians and birds to attend one of the VWMP workshops.

We can use your help and it's a fun reason to spend time outdoors!

For additional information on Nature Mapping training contact:
Jason P. O'Brien
Iowa NatureMapping Coordinator, Dept. of Animal Ecology
124 Science II, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3221
Ph: 515/294-6440, FAX: 515/294-7874
e-mail: jpobrien@iastate.edu
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/naturemapping


Resources for Trained Volunteer Wildlife Monitors:

• Wildlife Diversity Program - Data Entry Website

Frog and Toad Survey
Frog and Toad Survey: Data Sheet
Frog and Toad Survey: Instructions and Code Sheet
Bird Nest Monitoring Survey
Raptor: Data Sheet
Raptor: Instructions and Code Sheet
Colonial Waterbird: Data Sheet
Colonial Waterbird: Instructions and Code Sheet
Peregrine Falcon: Data Sheet
Peregrine Falcon: Instructions and Code Sheet